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rKOd-KIHNCS ol" Till- SI-NATH 



OBITUARY ADDRESSES 



OCCASION OF THE OEATH 



HON. GEORGE ROSS, 

A SENATOR FROM THJ': TENTH DISTRICT 



PHXXSVLVAXIA 



CI.AREXCE M. BUSCH, 
SrATl-: l^RINTER OF PENNSYLVANIA, 



RESOLiriON. 



Ix THK Sknate, February 6, iSgs- 
Resolved (if the House of Representatives concur), That five 
hundred copies of the memorial proceedings in the Senate upon 
the death of Hon. George Ross, late a member of the Senate from 
the Tenth Senatorial District, be printed and bound in cloth for 
the use of the Senate. 

Extract from the Journal of the vSenate. 

E. W. Smilev, 
Chief Clerk of the Senate. 

In the HorsK of Representatives, 
February 7, iSqs. 
The foregoing resolution concurred iu. 

A. D. Fetteroi.f, 
Chief Clerk. House of Representatives. 

Approved — The nth day of Februar\', 1S95. 

DANIEL H. HASTINGS. 



PROCEEDl.NliS OF THE SENATE 



ON Till-: DKATII OF 



HON. GEORGE ROSS. 



In lli(^ Sciial(\ Jauuai-v ll, 1S',)5. 

Mr. r.i-ewi'i-. Mr. rrcsidi'iit. now that the Scn.iir 
is organized and i-esolutions arc in order, 1 tliink this 
a proper time to call the attention of the t?ieuate to the 
loss tliat we liave snstaint'd in tlie death of the Uon- 
orable (ieorjie Koss. 

Seldom has any leiiislative body been ealled npou to 
mourn llie loss of a moi-e distinguished nn'Uiber. This 
is not a proper time to pay a tribute to the distin- 
guished services he has rendered his State. There is 
such a thing as leadership, known and recognized 
among men. and the members of this body, irrespec- 
tive of party, accorded to (Jeorge Ross, leadership. 
Altliough we have scarcely passed the threshold of 
this session, his absence is noticed and his counsel is 
missed. 

It wcudd be hai'dly proper for me to introduce a reso- 
lution respecting a. jiroper commemoration of his many 
virtues. I leave this duty to his distinguished asso- 
ciates of the same i»oliti<-al faith. 

^Ir. Laubach. Mr. President, in ])ursuance of the re- 
marks that have just been made by the Senator from 
Franklin, Mr. Ibewei', 1 offei' the following res(»lution. 

The resolution was read Ity the (Merk. as follows: 



G Obit liar x Addresses. 



Kesolved, That a coiuinittet' of live be appointed to 
prepare suitable resolutions expressive of the sense of 
the Senate upon the death of the Honorable George 
Ross, Senator from the Tenth District. 

The resolution was again read. 
The question being. 

Will the Senate agree to the resolution? 
It was agreed to. 

;Mr. (Irady. Mr. President, I otter the following 
resolution. 

The resolution was read by the Clerk, as follows: 

Resolved, That a special session of the Senate be 
held at three o'clock p. ui., on Wednesday, January 
twenty-third, to receive and consider the report of the 
committee appointed to i)repare resolutions relative 
to the death of our late colleague Honorable George 
Ross. 

The resolution was again read. 
The question being. 

Will the Senate agree to the resolution? 
It was agreed to. 



OBITUARY ADDRESSES. 



Ill (1r' Senate, 
Wednesday, .lanuaiy L*.'>, ISt)."), 
Hon. (\ Wesley Tlionias, I'resident pro leiiipoi'e, in 
the ('hail'. 

The IM-esideiit ]»i-o teiii]>oi-e. This session of the 
Senate has Ix^on called, imdei- a resolution, tor tlie 
purpose of reeeivini; the ie])oit of the coinniitlef^ aii- 
pointed to prepare resolutions upon the life, character 
and death of our fellow-inember, the late George Ross. 

Prayer. 

Prayer was ottered by the <'hai>lain, Kev. Frank L. 
IJardens, as follows: 

Almighty (lod, with whom do live the spirits of 
thos(^ who have de])art(Ml hence in the Lord, we do 
give Thee hearty thanks for their good examples and 
for the exemi>lary lif(^ of this Thy servant. Known 
among his colleagiies, associates and intimate friends 
as oil*' j»ossessing excelhMicy of character, irr(']»roach- 
able re})utation, devotion to his studies, good rcnison- 
ing powers, manly in <lis]K)sition, true to his con- 
sci(^nce, zealous in liis work, untlinching in his prin- 
ciph^s and faithful to his duties. Of high moral stand- 
ing and ever held in endearing relations, his love, es- 
teem and atfection for Tliee, his (Jod, his cliurch and 
it-; ]ninci]ih-s. He lived to serve Thee according to 
the dictates of his own conscienc<'. And whether in 
college, in the court room, in tlie Senate Chamber, in 



>- 



Obituary Addresses. 



iill the pursiiitH of life, he lived for the advtmcemeiit 
of the social, of the legitimate, of the iiioral, of the in- 
tellectual and i-elii;ious part of his companions, friends 
and beloved family. In the instance of morality be- 
fore us, Thou dost solemnly teach us that death is the 
end of all men. (Jrant us who are living, grace to lay 
it to heart; so to lay it to iieart, as to live above the 
world, to seek Thy favor, to study Thy will, 
to observe Thy laws and in all our actions 
to aim at Thy glory. Regard especially, 01 
Lord, with an eye of compassion, the widow, 
bereaved of her earthly partner and friend. Merci- 
fully grant, that in the depth of her sorrows, the light 
of Thy countenance may be her comfort, the gift of 
Thy grace and the promises of Thy blessed word, her 
refuge and strength. May she realize the fullness of 
Thy promise to be the widow's God, now and forever. 
Inspire us with a living sense of the rapid flight of 
time, the certainty of death and the judgment to 
come. So teach us to number our days that we may 
apply our hearts unto wisdom. Help us to bear in 
mind that we are strangers and pilgrims upon the 
earth and direct our desires to the city which hath 
foundations, whose builder and maker is (rod. And, 
as we know neither the day nor the hour wherein the 
kSou of ^lan cometh, give us grace to Avatch and pray 
a.nd to be always ready, having our loins girded and 
our lights burning like unto men that wait for their 
Lord. Quicken us, Almighty God, from the dbath of 
sin unto a new and holy life. That, being partakers of 
the death of Thy son, we may also be partakers of His 
resurrection, of i)erfect and endless bliss, both in body 
and soul, in Thy heavenly kingdom. And may the 



Hon. George Ross. 



iiddd ('XiUii|!l('S of all tlidsc who liavo (l(>i)arl('(l this 
lite in tlic iiiir lailii ol' Tliv iioly iiaiiic and liic hope 
of tlu'ii- iMi'i-nal bh'sscdncss, cxcilc us lo jji-css wilh 
more caincstness towards llic mark of I ho hi;^li callint;- 
of (iod in riiiisl -Icsns, in w iiosc name ah)n(' we offer 
up our pctilion. .Vnicn. 

Mr. J.aubach. Mr. IMcsichMit. I lisc lo perform Ihe 
most mouinful duty. 'V\\v coiiimittee appointed to pre- 
|;are resolutions upon the lif(% character and death of 
the lion. (!eoi\u-e Koss, beiis leave to report the follow- 
in^' resolutions, and asks that they lie read by the 
Clerk and entered at len.iith ujion the .Journal. 

The resolutions were read by the (Mei-k as follows: 

Kesolved, That the Senate profoundly regrets the 
death of the Hon, (leorge lloss. late a nu-niber of thi« 
body, and extends to the family of the deceased 
Senator sincere condolence in their bereavement. 

Resolved. That \m* ai-e de<'i)ly conscious of the loss 
sustain(Ml by his death, and desire to bear witness to 
his sterling worth as a man, his intt^grity and ability 
as a legislator, and his courtesy and fidelity towards 
those with whom lie was here associated. 

Kesolved, That a cojiy of these resolutions, with the 
action of the Senate thereon, l>e forwarded to the 
family of the deceased by the Clerk of the Senate, and 
that as a fni-ther token of respect to his memory the 
Senate do now adjourn. 

The resolutions werc^ again read. 

Mr. Laubach. ]Mr. l*resident, the sad event which 
these resolutions deplore, occurred at the iKune of 
the deceased Senator, in Doylestown, l»ucks county, 
on Monday morning, November nineteenth. The 
dis<'ase which hnallv i'esult<Ml in his death had lout: 



10 Obiticarv Addresses. 



beeu at work on a fiaiiic at no time i'ol)nst, and liad 
given him and his friends much concern for probablv 
a year. An ocean voyage hist summer, undertaken 
in the hope that it might at k^ast stay for a time tlie 
hand of the destroyer, if it could not bring about his 
recovery, was Avithout avail, and he returned 
to Doylestown to liv(^ out a few short months 
of earthly existence among kindred and friends, amid 
the peaceful suiroundings of his home, a home sancti- 
fied by the loyal devotion of loved ones and the sweet 
domestic hai)piness that ever reigned within its circle. 
The (^nd came peacefully and painlessly at ;>.oU on the 
morning in the ])resence of his family. 

He was buried on the morning of Thursday, No- 
vember twenty-two. The simple rites of the church 
of which he was a devoted member were attended by 
many neiglibors and friends, and when his body was 
consigned into the arms of earth, his grave was sur- 
rounded by an assemblage of men high in otticial sta- 
tion, such as seldom meets to pay tribute by their pres- 
ence to the memory of the departed. A large number 
of the meml)ers of the i^enate of Pennsylvania, ac- 
companied the formally appointed committee, attest- 
ing by their presence, their sense of loss at the death 
of their distinguished fellow nuMuber. The members of 
th(- llucks county bar w(Me present in a body, and had 
in a meeting called for that purpose, ])assed resolu- 
tions of sorrow and si)read on their records touching 
tributes of esteem and affection. 

Senator (ieorge Koss was born at Doylestowu, 
August twenty-four, one thousand eight hundred and 
forty-one. He comes of a distinguished and honored 
line of ancestors. His earlier ancestors were of tii-^ 



lion George Ross. 



11 



chm Koss. of the 1 li-lilaiids of Sec. Hand, ImiI his ^reai- 
-nuultallu'i-. Thomas Koss. was born in llic coMniy 
Tyionc. li-cland. in one Ihonsand seven hnndivd and 
ci^hl. I'lniiiii-atin.u to America in early lib-, he join< si 
llie Society of Friends, and became a distiniiiiisiud 
(jnal^er preacher. dyin<i in the house of Lindh-y .Mni- 
lav. the iii-eat <irannnarian. in Yoi-i<. Fn^land. in orie 
thousand sev.-n hunched and ei.uhty-six. His son. 
dohn Koss, orandfatliei- of Senator Koss. was boiii iu 
oiu' thousand seven hundred and seventy, and dicMl ii! 
oiu' thousand eiiiht hundred and thirty-four. He 
sei-ved in tlu" Fdeventh. Fourteenth and Fifleeutli 
(N»n,uresses. and was ai»i»oinled justice of the Supi-eme 
(N.ui-t in one thousand eii^ht liundred and tliirty. dyin- 
in the judicial ermine, a jnrist distin,<;uislied for hi^ 
learning and ]»robity. Thomas Koss. his son. and 
father of the deceased, was also a i.roniinent lawyer 
and member (»t' ('on<;i('ss, rejiresentinj;- the Lehi.ul!- 
r.ucks district in the Thirty-lirst and Thirty-second 
Conjiresses. 

Senator Koss" mother was a daughter oF Levi Panl- 
iug-,, of :^loiit^omery county, a uuMubei- of the Fiftie.li 
Conj^ress. Senator Koss was preparatorily educar<'d 
at Hartsville tenant school, Kennsylvania. and Bur- 
lington and Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and .uraduated 
from lM'incet<m Collejic in the class of sixty-one. 
(Mioosin.u tlie profession of his forefathers, he becanu- 
a lawyer and sturdily foujiht his way up until he at- 
tained the ]t()sition of leader of the bar of his native 
county. He early took an active interest in ])olitics 
and soon became ])rominent in his party. In one 
thousand ei,uht hundred and seventy-two he was 
elected a uhmuImm- of the Constitutional convention 
that framed tlie jU'esent oi-.i:anic law. representin.u 



12 Obituary Addresses. 

i>ii(ks and 2s()i'tliaiiipton counties in tliat importani 
and distinguished body. He was elected to the Sstnte 
Senate in one thousand eij;ht hundred and eiglitv-six, 
and re-eh^cted in one tliousand eight hundred and 
ninety, a distinction rare in the history of his county. 

In one tliousand eight hundred and eighty-nine he 
was the caucus noininee of his party for President pro 
tempore. In one thousand eight hundred and eighty- 
four and one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight 
he was the Democratic candidate for Congress in the 
I>U( ks-^Iontgomery district, and in one thousand eight 
hundred and ninety-three he was the caucus nominee 
of his party for Ignited States Senator. In one thou- 
sand eight hundred and seventy-six, one thousand 
eight hundred md eighty-four and one thousand eight 
hundred and eighty-eight he was a district delegate 
to the National couAention of his party, and in one 
thousand eight hundred and ninety-two he attended 
as a delegate-at-large. Senator Ross was often a 
delegate to State conventions, and was permanent 
chairman <»f that of one thousand eight hundred and 
ninety-two. 

H(^ was for many years a trustee^ of the Xorrisfown 
State Hospital and president of the P)Ucks County 
Trust Company, of which he was one of the founders. 
He was also a memlter of the board of directors of the 
Doylestown Publishing Com])any, and was interested 
in other business concerns. 

It was as a lawyer, however, that his abilities com- 
manded the greatest admiration. His remarkable 
memory, his profound knowledge of law, his subtle 
];(>wer of logic and his indomitable perseverance in the 
advocacv of tk" cause of his client will make his mem- 



Hon. George Ross. 13 



(irv <l(';ir ((» tln' people whom he served and liis name 
i-ememhered and honored in Ihe cominiinily in which 
he li\t'd. 

Me married on December foni'lli, one llionsand eij^hl 
hundred and seventy, al tiie \\'ashin-;1on Arsenal, 
Kllen Lyman riiipjis, (hiujiiiler of (i. \V. IMiijips, of 
iioston, Massacliusetts, who with six children are left 
to mourn tlie deatli of a kind hnsl»and, and a tender 
and indulgent fathei'. 

Mr. President, it is tittin-^' that we pause for a time 
fr(»m the business <»t' this session, fi-om the disi)utes 
and labors, the routine of Senatorial life and offer re- 
spectful tribute to the memory of our deceased friend 
and brother Senator. It is all that we can do for him 
now. Foi- him all the j)etty ambitions of life, the 
stru<;^le for honorable distinction, the cares and dis- 
api»ointments which beset the life of every man, but 
which, it seems to me, harass more especially the man 
Avho is lifted up into a position where he becouu's tlie 
tarji'et of iuh^ss or p(Mson, are over, lie passed away 
from an honorable and useful life in the i»rinie of liis 
manhood and in the zenith of his ])Owers, before that 
life was rounded out into full completeness, at a time 
when he, with his known capabilities, could look for- 
ward to lon<i years of usefulness in private life, or the 
occujjancy of positions of trust and honor in the }uiblic 
sei-vice. J'.ut, judged l)y what lu^ was and has done, 
no one can <all the life of Senator Koss a short one. 
His duty in life, his obli,uations to his family, to his 
constituency and to his State liave been so honorably 
performed, that marked by the calendar of events, his 
life was Ioniser by far than many of those whose years 
reach f(Mirscor(^ and more. After all, is it not perliajis 



14 Obituary Addresses. 

a toi'tunatc and happy fate for a man to pass away 
from this worhl in the hoi<j;ht of his powers in honor- 
abh' position, ^aininl by faithful service to his fel- 
h)w men, deeply rej;retted and lamented by them, 
rather than in the "sere and yellow leaf" of old age, 
when faculties have become im]>aired and powers of 
usefulness are gone, so that one sinks beneath the 
waters of dissolution, leaving scarcely a ripple behind. 

To me, the melancholy event which occasions these 
j)roceedings, has a deeper signiticance than generally 
attaches to the formal declarations of this kind. 

^^'hen L came hero four years ago, to take my place 
among you as a member of this body, I knew com- 
paratively few of those who then composed its mem- 
bership. 1 was ac(}uainted well Avith only one — the 
Senator from Bucks. Living all our lives in adjoining 
counties, both being active in the same political faith, 
we naturally had many mutual friends and often met 
in the pursuit of mutual interests and desires. In con- 
sequence we knew each other well long before we met 
here. This friendship was of great value to me, a new 
member, totally unaiMjuainted with and inexperienced 
in legislative duties as I was. His kindly offers of 
assistance and advice were most gratefully accepted 
by me. He knew my shortcomings, and in the most 
delicate manner assisted me over the difficulties in- 
separable \\'\\\\ inexperience. 

This he did in no i)atronizing way, tending to 
humiliate, but in the manner of a friend sincerely 
desirous of assisting when^ he knew assistance was 
craved. 1 am sure that otl:ers in this body received 
the same cons' '^;ration at his hands. In speaking of 
the distingu' ; ing characteristics of the late Senator, 



Hon George Rosx. 15 

I wdiild ;i\(>i(l nil cxI i;i\ ;i,i;;iii(t' of t-ulouy lor his life 
and cliai-adcr would be inari'cd by iini-cal adoriiiiiciil. 
i'>ui lliis iiiiicli iiMisI be said to be Inilliful: 

]|<' was a natural leader of men. lie was quiet and 
undeinonstrati\e in his manner, not .uiven 1o self as- 
sei-tion or to show, lie made no pi-etenlions as a 
master of oratory, but if entire absence of art is the 
hijihesl (]nality of oratoiy, then iie was an orator in- 
deed. He ne\(M' spoke foi- the sake of display on 1his 
lloor, ])Ut when he spoke, he alwa,\s commanded the 
attention of every member, for the plainness and jtoint- 
edness of his speech could not fail to reach the jndg- 
nienl of his hearei's, and the lionesty of his ])nrp()se 
always insured him consideration from those evtni 
who dittei-ed fi'oni him the most widely, lie was a 
man of strong- convictions, earnest ])ur])oses, and of 
exc(dlent jud.uinent. Ih^ was faithful in attendin.!;- to 
his unties iiere and elsewhere. He hated shams and 
false ]»retenses. He was ]»lain in manner and habits, 
but his intellectual abilities shone all the briiihter in 
the modest settinji. He was .uentle as a woman, but 
in the defense of a ]irinci])le or the advocacy of a 
measure we iiave seeu him here "with lance drawn and 
visor dow n" in ]ierc(^ aiul uuyieldiuji' combat, jiivinj;- no 
(piarterandexpectin^iione, yet always ready to permit 
the smoke and clash of battle to pass away with tln^ oc- 
casion. He was com]>anionabh^ when the multitu(h^ 
of cares ]terniitted relaxation and beneatli a somewhat 
dittident exterior lay a warm and im]>ulsive heart. It 
is no disparagement to others who succeed him in the 
Senate, to assert that, however able and ])atriotic 
they may be. his county will never send to tliis chani- 
b(n- one who can till the jdace lie occupied more 



IG Obituary Addresses. 



Avoithily than he did nor pass away from among us 
amid deeper sorrow tlian is felt at his loss. 

Mr. President, the attainments and the virtues of 
our deceased l)rother Senator are an attractive theme 
and one could dwell long up(ui them. 

A good man, an able legislator, a faithful friend, a 
devoted husband and father, pure in private and i»ub- 
li,. life — such is his record and as such we take the 
melancholy pleasure to place our estimate of him upon 
our records. It is a glorious I'xample to us and a price- 
less heritage and consolation to his stricken and dis- 
consolate family. It will not fade nor be forgotten 
until the history of this State is obliterated. The 
name of Ross will be borne through future generations, 
unsullied, 1 doubt not. as it has been through genera- 
tions past, but the place our friend occupied in our 
minds and our hearts will not again be filled. Memory 
vividly brings back to us the earnest voice, the dig- 
nified and imi)ressive manner of the man who but a 
short time ago was here, a living ])ower among living 
men, moulding opinions and formulating laws. The 
echoes of his voice still seem to linger and it is difficult 
to realize that the grave has shut forever from our 
sight all that was mortal of our lamented friend, and 
we are here to s]>eak kind words of him as flowers are 
sometimes dropped into new made graves. 

In the presence of that awful phenomenon, which 
res]:ects no station and no ]u'rson, we refuse to believe 
that the clods of earth have stilled forever this elo- 
quent tongue, this generous heart, this splendid in- 
tellect. 

That this mind, stored with tlu^ information and the 
culture of manv long years of faithful labor and study 



IIoi. Geora-e Ross. 



17 



siK.iild iiicli ;i\\;iy into iioiliiii.u is (liriicnlt to believe, 
li is (he iiivslcry oT Hie aiics. Science with 
all its splendid riiiiis of indouiitjible effort 
and i-esc.-ircji is dnnd* hcfoi-c it. .\(, ,,i|,. of ;il| 
IIh' "inniinierahle cai-avan" who liave preceded ns has 
ever return to enlighten us. Faitii alone lifls tiie 
veil from the iinp.-net lahle oh,„i„. "Tiiou-ih l„. were 
dead yet shall he live" is the voict' of consolation and 
"^ ''•'!"'• II is a bow of promise at ii wart a sicy of 
d<'solati(m and despair, li-htin- u]. the horizon unto 
a nior(^ ])erfect day. (irounded in that faith, true to 
himself and his (lod. who doubts that eternal life and 
joy awaited our friend beyond the j.orlals of the 
tomb. 

W'r miss him. we sorc^ly lament him, but let us say 
as (Mcero said of his friend Scijiio: 

"No evil has happened to him; if to any. it has hap- 
IH'ued to us who have lost him." 

Mr. President. I move the adojdion of the resolu- 
tions. 

^U: (Jobin. 31r. Tresident, it has been said that 
there is something chillin.-; and rei»ressino' in premedi- 
tated eulooy. Yet to suspend the business of the 
Senate, to exj.ress the feelinos which flow from our 
hearts and to i)ut into words th<^ sorrow which we feel 
at the loss of our late associate, (k^or^e Ross, is most 
tittin- The best results of a life's work ai-e only dis- 
cernible after the worker has -one. The prcmdest 
history of a State or Xation is in the men who have 
staved their best intei-ests. Memory brin«is l)ack to 
us all vei-y vividly the manly foi-m. dignified demeanor, 
earnest voice of the man who was admittedly the leader 
of the oi.p-osition in this chamber. When one feels 



18 Obituary Addresses. 

a peisonal loss in the death of a eoiurade or fiieiid 
it is difficult to speak caliiil.y of his completed life and 
untimely death. 

Senator (leorge Ross was a manly man. It is hard 
to realize that we shall never more hear his friendly 
greeting, and listen with the attention which he always 
commanded in the Senate, to his assaults upon meas- 
ui-es which he opposed and his earnest advocacy of 
those which he favored. There are those here who re- 
call his fervent words in the last hours of the session 
of one thousand eight hundred and ninety-three, as 
we were about separating, and his kindly wishes as we 
parted. He was, during his entire service in the Sen- 
ate, in th(^ minority. lUit he stood firmly, rarely yield- 
ing, submitting to defeat manfully, but speedily to the 
fore when the occasion demanded it. Conspicuous in 
his service was his leadership of his party in the ex- 
traordinary session of one thousand eight hundred 
and ninety-one. He not only led his party at the time, 
but commanded the entire respect of the opposition. 
Whether he was riglit or wrong in the judgment of 
his associates, no man could (luestion his sincerity or 
the honesty of his purixise. He seemed ever moved 
by a sense of duty and of earnest conviction. His 
partisanship never interfered with his ]>ers()nal 
friendships, and none could come within the influence 
of his genial nature Avithout being attracted by it. 

He was conscientious in the discharge of his duties 
as a Senator. Realizing the responsibility of his posi- 
tion, in the committee room, and in the oi)en Senate, 
he was assiduous in the performance of every trust. 
With a thorougli knowledge of the law, he united a 



Hon. George Ross. V^ 

clciii- niKil VI iciil iiiiiid. and llic records hear many v\\ 
deuces of his powci' as a debalor. I'miI 

"(iod's linj^cr lenclied him and \\v slepl." 

In liie ripening malnrily ol' liis years lie was caUed 
hence, and in litis j»resence we desire I (>\\("a\'e ilie cliap 
h'l l(. ci-(»\\ii liis life with ns — and as one of us. Those 
V, hom he lo\'ed so well need t'rom us no laudatoi-y 
words to reassure them of his nu'rits. His life's \\(U'k 
is au opeu pai^e. tilled with deeds well <h)ue. and our 
couimendal inn is but^ the |trom]it ini;s of siucere friend- 
shij). as it jdauts upon his j;rave the evergreens of 
memory. Oui- ]»raise or censun^ affects him not in his 
eternal sleep, but to those of us who remain, aye, to all 
who, like him, assume duties so jn-eunant with the wel- 
fare of the State, it is well 1o i-ecall his unsur]>assed 
record, his brilliant leadei-ship, his devotion to what 
he l»elieved to be ri^dit. 

^^'e learn from the .ui-eat English writer "that men 
in ,ureat jilaces ;ue thrice servants — servants of tlieii- 
Sovereijiu or State, servants of fame, servants of busi- 
ness, so they have no freedom, neither in their ptn-sons 
nor in theii' actions nor in their times. In phiee there 
is a lic(Mise to do uood and evil, whereof the latter is 
a cause; for in evil the best condition is not to will, 
the second not to can. \\\\\ j»ower to (h» i^ood is the 
true and lawful end of as])irin,u; for i^ood tlnuiiihts, 
though (lod acce](ts them, yet towards im'U are little 
better than ^ood (h-eams. exce]»t they be jmt in act; 
and that canmtt be without jxtwer ;nid ]tlace as the 
vanta<ie and commanding; <;round. ^ierit and i;ood 
works is the end of man's motion, and conscience of 
the same is the iiccomjilishnient of man's rest; for if a 
man can be a partaker of (lod's theatre, he shall like- 
wise be jiartaker of (lod's rest." 



20 Obitiiajy Addresses. 

k)\\v depaitcd friend, in his 'place iu the Senate, 
wheie we knew him best, was in i)ei'fect accord with 
this ideal of a Stniator. As a legislatoi" he sought the 
public good as he saw it, and his appearance upon 
life's stage was of that cliaracter which entitles him 
to the rest upon which he has entered, ^lay the 
Howers bloom upon his grave winter and summer and 
affection's choicest offerings be tributes to his memory. 
Since we have assembled this afternoon we have all 
advanced a step towards tlu^ inevitable, and each brief 
moment marks on the dial plate of time the shortened 
period of opi)ortunity for our life's work. I cannot be- 
lieve that Senator Ross is forever gone from us. Called 
hence in the prime of intellectual power, in the midst 
of a useful life, shall we not in some other condition of 
existence hope to meet again. Is the creation of man 
such a failure that this friend, companion, aye! and 
the numerous ones who have preceded him will live no 
more forever — I cannot believe it. The mystery is un- 
fathonuible, but with the eye of faith, the heart seeks 
for the light. 

^Nlr. Presideur and Senators, let us cherish his 
virtues, emulate his conscientious convictions of duty. 
We valued his friendship in life, we revere it now that 
he is gone. Let us, with an abiding faith in the Divine 
justice which doeth all things well, aAvait that period 
when we too will depart from this life's arena, all 
strife forgotten, all cares rolled away, all burdens re- 
moved. 

"Secure from Avorldy chance and niishai»s." 
A\\' say men die and are forgotten. Are we not mis- 
taken? Men ](ass away, but their work remains in 
some form, and no jtart of it more indeliblt^ than the 



lion. George Ross. 21 

iiiii:i('ssi()n uiadc u|;()ii llic licnils of oni- associates. 
This is Willi iis imiil we too ci-oss liic mystic river. 
Kealizin^- lliat, we iiiouni ii(»i as iliose who ai'e witli- 
out hope, for do we iiol believe with our own L011J4- 
f el low— 

"Thei-e is ii(» <lealhl what seems so is transition; 

This life of mortal breath, 
Is but a suburb of the life Elysian, 

Whose jiortal we call Death." 

Mr. President, 1 second the resolution. 
Mr. (ireen. Mr. President, six short years a^o it 
was my i»rivile,ue to meet the distin^nislied Senator 
from P.ucks, until then known to me oidy by rejtuta- 
tion. How strange it seemed that the (juiet, reserved ■ 
man, modest t>ven to timidity who took me l»y the 
hand, was the dislin.uuished leader of the minority, 
acknowle<l,ued to be easily tlie peei- of the many able 
and distin.unished men who formed the Senate of 
Pennsylvania. 

From this first meetinj; the kindly, quiet di<;nity of 
this man imprc^ssed me, and day by day I learned to 
know him better. ('omin<i fi'om tlie same section of 
the State, of the same jxtlitical faith, sitting near one 
another we soon became fast friends; friendship 
rijH^ned into acbniration, admiration into love. Honest 
in thought and action, ])oli(e and considerate ever; 
kind, thoughtful and gc nerons always. I sought to 
follow his s])lendid example and know that it has left 
its beneficent influence u])nn nu^ 

"D et ju-aesidium et dnlce (h'cus nieum." 

To each man is given but a few short years to live 
ui)on this earth — somc^ live too long — to some the 



22 Obituary Addresses. 

thread of life is cut too short, before tlieir days of 
usefulness are ended, (xeorj-e Ross is dead, we 
mourn his loss; he died before his life work was 
finished, before its duties had all been performed, 
when new triumi>hs and new honors awaited him. 
Family, neiiihbors and friends at his home mourn his 
loss, but none more deeply and sincerely than his col- 
leagues and associates in this body. 

Our friend was not of humble origin, nor could he 
boast of being wholly a self-made man. He had great 
advantages, coming from a long line of distinguished 
ancestors, a race of lawyers, many of whom had worn 
the judicial ermine; he had had the benefits of a most 
liberal education and claimed the famous college of 
IM-inceton for his alma mater. 

This scion of one of the most illustrious families 
of I'ennsylvania, in whose veins tiowed some of the 
best blood in this grand old Keystone State, worthy 
of his origin, was a prince anumg men. 

Like nuiny of his family he was a trained and 
erudite lawyer, who by years of study and patient in- 
dustry had mastered the great principles of the com- 
mon and statute law, and earned the proud distinction 
of being the recognized leader of the bar at his home. 

His legal knowledge gave him great advantages as 
a Senator, and no one could more quickly point out 
an error in ] tending legislation, nor more accurately 
explain the harm of crude or vicious bills, and many 
and many a tiuK* has he prevented this branch of the 
Legislature from placing its approval ui)on legislation 
which would hav(^ brought trouble, vexation and in- 
jury to the peo])le whom it was intended to lienefit. 

This great lawyer never made jtarade of liis superior 



Hon. George Ross. 23 

kiutw Icdiic (ti- soiiulil 1(1 iiialvc clicap capital out oi' the 
oi'i'oi'S and luislakcs of liis Icllow Senators l)_v inakinj^' 
ridicule of tlieiii or the iiK-asiires lliev preiiesed. Many 
and many is llu' time, instead el' jd-epesinj; anu-nd- 
menis to tin ir bills on this lloor. In- called them 1o 
him. and with kiml and coni'teons politeness corrected 
Iheii- errois and di-ew n]» amendnn-nts which tln*y 
tliemsehcs presented. His colieaiines in this body 
will bear testimony of his kindness — he liave them 
freely of his time, his expeiience, his lej;al advice for 
the nuM-e asking. r>usy man that he was, he was never 
too busy to iiive ns aid and counsel. What wonder 
then that we trusted him; what w(unh*r that we 
honored him: what won<h'r that w(^ loved him. We 
knew him as a skillful leader, an earnest and elocpient 
advocate, a tinished orator. 

In my mind's eye, 1 can see his slender, but erect 
form rise before me, and ahnost landilike, with slow, 
(juiet, nn'asured, well-chosen words, be<4in an appeal: 
as he went on l>y decrees he ,urew nu)re earnest, his 
woids canu' quicker and (piicker, his voice <;r(nv mor(^ 
and more resonant, a bri*;lit pink suffused his usually 
l^allid countenance, then tiushini;' fiery red with the 
vehemence <»f his exertions, he Ix^-ame a lion, and a 
torrent of im])assioned words came like a mi.iility river 
and filled the chamber with their ehxpience, and when 
he closed lu^ would wii>e tlu^ ]»ers])iration from his 
brow, and we all knew that this ever ready, clear, 
couraj;eous and convincin.u' s]ieaker had im])ressed his 
hearers with his views. 

Such was the man that hd't the impress of Ids in- 
teuritv and his ;^reat mental artainnuMits and leual 



24 Obituary Addresses. 



knowledge ui)oii our laws dnrinj^ the years he was iu 
the service of the State. 

Was this man a partisan? ^Vhat man of his intense 
eonvictious is not? He loved and revered his party 
and its true principles, and he sometimes souj^ht to 
make others believe with him, but never, even in the 
heat of debate, did he deal an opponent a cruel or un- 
manly blow. Bold, zealous, vehement, 1 never knew 
him to make a ]>ersonal attack on any opponent. A 
master of sarcasm, who ever received a harsh or anj;ry 
word from the Senator from Bucks. Well could it be 
said of him — 

"The bravest are the tenderest. 
The loving are the darinjj,'." 

T(» his <^reat mental attainments were added those 
more valued qualities of heart. Never was there a 
more loyal friend, and if his love of his family was 
more intense than his affection for his friends, how 
poignant must be their grief. As he loved a friend, 
so his great n.iture despised a coward, a sneak and a 
dishonest man. 

George Ross has crossed the dark river which 
marks the boundary between life and death and 
washes the shores of the great beyond; he has gone 
to th(^ unexiilored country to which we all will soon 
follow him; a country which I believe is not very far 
ott" nor very different from this; taking with him his 
great abilities to live again a useful, manly life; leav- 
ing behind him an honored name, an untarnished rejju- 
tation and a worthy example. 

An ornament to his profession, an honor to his alma 
mater, a bright star among the constellation of great 
men who have made this, his native State famous; the 



Hon. George /^oss. 25 

r('((»i(l of his life iii;iy well he siiiuiiicd tip in \Uv 
f.iiiious lilies of Longfellow — 

'•Li\(' I, so live I 
To my Lord lie;iiiily. 
To my |M-ince faithfully. 
To my neighbor honestly. 
Die I. so (lie L" 

-Mr. .M(( 'reaiy. Mr. I'lesideiit and Senators, it is iin- 
l>ossil>le ill the hiief time allowed on an occasion of 
this kind io ^ive a just estimate of the character of a 
Jiiaii s(» richly endowed by nature with intellectual, 
moral and social (|ualiti<'s, as was our late brother 
Senator, (5eori;e Ivoss. He was not one whose real 
wortli could be correctly measured upon a casual or 
limited acqnaintaiice, any more than can the true 
value of the diamond l)e determined as it lies amid 
its crude surroundings in the mine. So with him 
wliose life and cliaracter are the subject of our dis- 
course and consideration to-day. Jt re(|uired close and 
even long' contact with his mental and moral nature, 
before his true worth as a man and his value as a 
le,uislat(U- could be fully wei.uhed and correctly 
realized. 

His was not a noisy or obtrusive character, attract- 
inji' the attention of the mnltitnde by conspicuous ad- 
dress or declamatory harangue, but rather, his was a 
studious, thouiihtful and unassuming' nature, always 
Htrivin^ to rea*h correct conclusions by patient iu- 
V(^sti.uation of such (piestions as enoaoed his attention 
in his ]>r()fessi(uial or lejiislative experience. 

My acijuaintaiice with Senator Koss be<;an wIkmi I 
first took a seat in this Senate in one thousand eij2:ht 
hundred and eijihty-nine, and my respect and esteem 



26 Obituary Addresses. 

for liiiu did not cease wiieii the solemn litany, "eai'tli 
to eai-tli, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust" were pro- 
nounced over his jj;rave, but they will remain with 
me as a pleasant memory until I, too, as he has done, 
shall have passed on to the eternal shores of the great 
hereafter. 

Of Senator Ross it can be truthfully said, that he 
was a gentleman in all that the word implies. He was 
instinctively courteous and considerate to all with 
wIkmu he canu' in contact, especially and notably so, 
in his demeanor towards his brother Senators on this 
floor. In the nununous discussions in which he took 
^o prominent and distinguished part, whether in the 
routine of ordinary legislation, or in the sometimes 
angry excitement of political debate, he never allowed 
himself to forget the dignity of his own high office, 
nor the respect due to those who antagonized his own 
views. 

He was remarkably industrious, and investigated 
with most rigid cart^ tn-ery measure of importance 
that was under consideration, always bringing to bear 
a wealth of infornuition and knowledge. It can prop- 
erly be said of him as was said of the Ronum orator, 
"non tetigit, ut n<»n ornavit," he did not touch, that he 
did not adorn. 

His great ability and usefulness as a legislator 
were not confined to the discussion of questions on the 
tioor of the Senate chamber. Indeed, if I were asked, 
where he appeared to the best advantage and where 
he rendered his best service to the State, I think I 
should say, and correctly so, in the quiet of the com- 
mittee room. Senators who served with him on com- 
mittee, will rememb«'r how carefully and searchingly 
he examined and scrutinized everv bill and 



Hon. George Ross. -7 

('\('rv s('(ii((ii of t'\crv bill lli;il was before 
lliem for (■(insideiat ion ; and however any one niii;lit 
(litl'er with him in his views, no one ev<'r (pieslioned 
his sincerily oi' inirpose or his nnswervini;" inleiii'ily. 

Dilferinii' wilh him. as a majority of the S<'nale did, 
on the i»oliti<-al princijiles which he held, no one conld 
fail to recognize the conia.uc and manliness with 
w liich he adv()eat(Ml them. 

As a citizen he commanded the i'es])ect of all who 
knew him. As a lawyei' he stood in the fi-ont rank 
of the ablest jurists of the Stale. As a member of the 
Constitutional convention, he rindered distinguished 
service in framini*' the orj;anic law of the State. As 
a member of the Senate, he was a careful, able and 
conscientious le<2,islator, and when, on that still No- 
veml)er day, I saw him laid to rest in the (juiet village 
church yard, I felt that his county had lost one of its 
most illustrious sons, and his State one of her most 
valuable public servants. 

Mr. President, I second the resolution. 

Mr. Saylor. Mr. President, althou,i;h not a member 
of this honorable body at the time the deceased <;raced 
and lionoreMJ it with his ])resence, yet my ac(juaintance 
ship with him was of such a nature as to enable me 
to reco.niiize in him the gentleman, the scholar and the 
statesman. 

Put he has gone from our presence, and we will 
know him now in memory only. His soul has lied — 
gone to join the countless thousands in that great un- 
known world we call Paternity, from whose Ixnirne no 
traveler e'er returns; passed over to the other .;!«h-, 
across the stream of time which sei»arates us fi »m 
those who through death have gone before; ])assed 
over as silently as the shadows fall. Death, that great 



28 Obituary Addresses. 



niYsterious pOAvei" that loosens the silver cord, breaks 
the gokleu bowl, returns our bodies to the earth as 
the.v were and the spirit unto God who gave it, freezes 
the blood in onr veins, drives from oui- l)odies of clay 
the spiritual and immortal substance of man that 
speaks on the tongue, sparkles from the eye, informs 
every feature and animates our whole being, has taken 
him from us. The soul, that invisible power whicli 
links us to the Deity and makes us "the most dis- 
tinguisluHl link in being's endless chain," has tied. 
Death, the great harvester of time, that gathers to- 
gether ''all the greatness, all the [»ride, all the crueltv 
and all the and)ition of man, and covers it Avith six by 
two of sod." has gathered him in. Death, that myste- 
rious agency of a superior, yea, a Divine power, that 
teaches us of a Creator above and over us all, who 
holds us in the hollow of His hand, who, through His 
son, Jesus Christ, that blessed Redeemer of men, re- 
vealed unto us His love and His truth, taught us of 
tile world to come, and of the blessed hereafter, "where 
the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are 
at rest;" where, within the pearly gates and jaspered 
walls of the New Jerusalem the beloved and the 
chosen of the Lord shall dwell in peac(\ yea, abide, in 
love and joy forevermore. 

These things God gives to those who fear and love 
Him and who Avalk uprightly in life as our beloved 
brother walked. If kinds words spoken, generous, 
noble actions done by one to those with whom he as- 
sociates; if commiseration for another's woes, charity 
for another's faults, shown by one to those with w^hom 
he associated, and to the community in w^hich he lived, 
(mdears such an on<^ to us. how much dearer, greater 



Hon. (rcojoc Ross. 29 



ainl more (lisviniiuislicd such an <tiic becomes avIumi 
his associah's and Ihe coiiiiiiiiiiil v in \vliicli lie lives 
is deprived of his companionship and fellowship by 
death. Then it is. generally s])eakin^'. Ave are called 
upon to realize and ap]ireciale the fact thai we never 
accorded to the deceased in his lifetime the honor and 
the i»raise his services and vii'tues dcMuancJed. 

In the .iii-eat rush and worry of l»usiness, in the mad, 
cold, unceasing stru<i-gle for fortune and fame, "where 
the idol of to-day forces the hero of yesterday out of 
oui- rt'coUection, and who in turn will be supplanted 
by his successor of to-morrow," we do not stop to fully 
appreciate and profit by the example which the life 
of such an one as the deceased teaches, nor to ac- 
cord to such an one the honor and distinction h" 
deserves. However, of our deceased brother, it can 
be truthfully said in this regard that liis many virtues, 
his great learning and all the qualities of mind and 
heart that endeared him to us and distinguished him 
amongst us were fully rt^-ognized and justly appre- 
ciated in his lif.'tinu\ and it did not require as, alas, is 
too often the case, the cold hand of death to reveal and 
disclose them to us or cause us for the first time to 
recognize and hon(U" them. 

But lie is gone; and all we can give him now are a 
few kind words, a few tears, all of which we now with 
lo\ing. mournful hearts bestow. 

.Mr. ^McCarrell. Mr. President, I Avould do injustice 
to my own feelings were I to permit this opportunity 
to i>ass without ]»aying my trilnite to the memory of 
him. whom, at the session of one thousand eight hun- 
dred and ninety-three, we mentioned as the distin- 
iruished Senator from Bucks. He was as has been 



30 Obiluary Addresses. 



said to-day,, undoubtedly the leader of the minority 
iu this Chamber, and he deservedly won for himself 
that high position. He wou for himself the compli- 
ment which was tendered him by the minority when 
they made him their nominee for the jiosition r,f 
United States Senator, and Avhen they cast their bal- 
lots for him. 

I learned to know him during the session of one 
thousand eight liundrcd and ninety-three. I had 
heard of him before, but during that session I learned 
to have for him an admiration and regard unsurpassed 
by that which I had for any other Senator upon this 
floor. 

He was a manly man. He was a gentleman of 
scholarly attainments; of intellectual force; of high 
and courageous character and honorable and noble 
purpose. Therefore, it is not strange that he made 
an impression upon the legislation in which he was 
called upon to participate and won for himself the 
proud ]M)sition which he attained. Coming of illus- 
trious family, descended from men who had rendered 
honorable service to the State and to the country, it 
^^•as not surprising that he himself should soon have 
been called to fill public place. It is not surprising, 
descended as he was from lawyers, trained in the law 
and experienced on the bench, that he should have 
sought the same profession, and that he should have 
won for himself the proud position of leader of the 
bar of liucks county. Called as he was to fill otficial 
and public stations he brought to the discharge of his 
duties an honest purpose to do what was best for the 
people of the State as he understood their interests. 
He was a member of the Constitutional convention 



Hon. licorgc Ross. 31 

and i)aiti(i]ialr(i in the fraiiiiiij; of llic fuiKlainciital 
laws of oiii- Stale, and in llial capacitv lie rendered 
valnal)le ser\ices. In liiis ("lianiber. in llie sessions 
in which lie was jierniilled to |>articii»ate, he made 
for himself an honoi'ahle and manlv i-ecoi'd, and he has 
left behind him a memory lliat contains nothin^i but 
pleasant i-ecollections. 

He did his dnt.v as he understood it, fearlessly and 
eourafieously. He was faithful in the doinf;- of any 
work he undertook to ])erform. I can recall no one 
who was more fa.ithful in attendance at the sessions 
of this body, and at the meetings of the committees of 
>\hich he ^^as a meml)er, and who jrave more valuable 
aid than did Che distinj;uished S(Miator from P>ucks. 
He filled these stations honorably and well, and he 
has left for his family and his State the heritage of a 
good nanu'. No <ir(^ater compliment could be paid to 
the HKMnory of any man than to say simply that much. 
It is no little thing. Senators, honorably to dischaige 
the duties of public station. Yet our friend and late 
colleague discharged the duties of the high otlice to 
A\hi<h he was calbnl so well that never has any one 
dartnl to (piestion his integrity of j)urpose nor the 
ability with which he advocated a measure he believed 
to be right or op|)osed one which he believed to be 
wi'ong. He did for the people of this State that whicii 
lie l)eli(^ved their best interests actually re(iuired. He 
Avas honest and earnest in everything. He had no sel 
fish purposes. His desire was to do that which was 
best for the people of this great Commonwealth, and 
therefore it is that the people of this State sustained 
a loss when George Koss left the jtnblic service of 
earth for the service of that great l)ourne from whence 



32 Obituary Addresses. 

no travek'i- e'er retiiins. ^Ve learned to love him for 
what he was. His influence in the world was earnest, 
courajieoiis and helpful to his fellowmen. 

I liaA'e read somewhere of a sprin;;' by the ocean side, 
which sent up from the depths of the earth a current 
of Avater so clear and sparklin-.^ and briglit that not 
all the waves of the ocean could keep it down; but as 
the waves receded, up from the earth would come 
again that strong, sweet current that helped all who 
came to drink of the sparkling water. So, 
Mr. President, with our lamented colleague 
surrounded by temptations which souglit to lure 
him from the path of rectitude and honor, up 
from the dejtths of heart and soul witli which he was 
endowed there always came those pure and helpful 
influences, the outpouring of an honest, manly and 
sincere heart, wliich controlled and ennobled his life. 

I see him in nu^mory to-day as he stood at his desk 
in the closing hours of the S(^ssion of one 
thousand eight hundred and ninety-three. We 
had gathered together to say adieu to each other, 
and I recall the manly words with which he voiced his 
approval of the numner in which the duties of the 
office of President of this body had l)een performed 
by your predecessor. Ht^ was in the minority, he 
differed from him in ]tolitical l)elief, but his partisan- 
shii» carried with it no personal ju-ejudice and never 
led him to do a dishonorable thing. It was with very 
great regret that I received the announcement of his 
death. It was with unfeigned sorrow that I stood 
with my fellow Senators around the grave opened to 
receive the sleeping dust, and to-day, with a sincere 
heart, I humbly atteuqit to weave foi' him a l)lended 



Ho7i. George Ross. 33 



chajtUM of loyal fi-iciKlsliip. of lii.-ih ikm-souuI cstcciii 
and i)U'asaiit uiciiioi-ics. 

Ml-. Snvdcr. Mr. rrcsidonl. my aciiuaintaiici' with 
(Jeoi'j^c l\oss licpui with my culraiicc to the Senate 
in .lanuai-y. one lli(»nsand ei,util hundicd and ninety- 
three. My associations with him during that session 
were both i.leasant and friendly, and 1 desire with 
others t(» nnite in payint; by hnmble tribnte to his 
memory. 

In expressin^u my sorrow 1 know I am speakinj;- the 
sentiment of the connty I have the honoi- to re]M'esent, 
for he had many acipiaintances there who admired him 
for his manly (jualities and sterlin-;- intei;rity. He was 
always well e(inii>ped for the dnties assigned him, 
both in committee and on the floor of the Senate. 

Mis action as a Senator was (piiet and without at- 
temi)ted disi)lay. 

He was conservative, forcible and aggressive where 
these (jnalities were necessary. He was a born leader, 
withont wishing or desiring to assume leadership. 
He possessed all the (jnalities which g(t to make up a 
leader. 

He had an iron will when he l)elieved he \Yas right, 
and he had nerve and courage to enforce his convic- 
tions. 

In debate he was open, frank and honest with his 
adversaries and always despised shams. 

As a debater he had the gift of oratory, and few 
surpassed him in making his ])oints clear. 

In this Senate he stood with the minority i)arty. but 
he stood tirndy against odds. 

He not only led his party, but he commanded the 
respect of the majority jtarty \\lnle doing so. 



34 Obituary Addresses. 

A\'lietliei- he was rijiilit at times, or whetliei' be was 
wrong on some occasions, no man could question his 
honesty of purpose, for he seemed moved solely by a 
sense of duty. 

Honored by his party with two elections to the State 
Senate, and once by being their nominee for Ignited 
States Senator, and early in his life, his party honored 
him with being a member of the Constitutional con- 
vention which framed the present Constitution of our 
State, and had he lived I have no doubt he would have 
been called to future and greater honors. His private 
life was peaceful, ])leasant and hapi)y, and all that I 
can learn of it was tender, instructive and affectionate, 
and around his own fireside he was a devoted husband, 
a loving father and a generous friend. 

It was here he was the most happy and contented, 
for he tried to do the full measure of duty to his 
family and his fellowmen. 

Love, honor and truth — all the domestic virtues 
gathered around the family circle, and his simplicity 
in private life, recall the lives of many great men that 
have gone before him. I'roud of his county, loyal to 
his State and ever faithful to the interests of both — 
he represented the best ty]»e of an American citizen. 

Such men as (Jeorge Ross are not born to die out of 
the memory of this Senate or of the people of the 
county he so ably represented, or in the hearts of every 
true I'ennsylvanian. 

To our friend whom we mourn to-day, death was in 
sight for several months, but he hoped for returning 
health, and to be spared to his family, but C.od had 
willed otherwise, and he humbly submitted to His all- 
wise providence. 



Hon. George Ross, 35 

He lias 4()ii(' !() return no nntrc. The ni<'SS('nj;ei' of 
death has stiHed his Noicc forc\rr. bul he has hdt an 
examph' which s]»ealvs xoiuincs t(» _i;ui(h' us in our 
rmuic (Iclibcrations. 

lie has passed Iroiu this arena to tlie better shore, 
wliere tiulh. peace and goodness i-eiiiii supreme. 

Mr. I'resiih'nt, 1 second the resolulion. 

31r, Clover. 31 r. President. 1 (h'siic to say a lew 
Avords in testimony of my rei;aid and respect for the 
dead Senator, my pi-e(h'cessor. Not having; associated 
witli liim in tliis cliambei' as many of you have, 1 can- 
not s]>eak of liis (jualities as a lej;ishitor, from personal 
obseivation. bur I have known him for the past twenty 
years as a uenth^uan, a Iawy(M-, and a f(dlow citizen of 
my own connty, and liave always re<;arded Senatoi- 
Koss as a man trne to the sentiment of duty, and 
therefore know that the trust placed in him by the 
])eopl(^ of his county was not betrayed. A (xerman 
l»hilosopher has poetically and truthfully said, "The 
two most beautiful things are the starry Heavens 
above our heads and the sentiment of duty in the 
human soul." 

Few oltjects aie richer for eontemjilation, than a 
man who lives, acts. s}»eaks, and ex(M"ts his powers 
from an enli<;htened conviction of duty; in whose soul 
the voice of duty is the voice of (Jod. 

In such uKUi ihere is a mijihty force of nun-al powtn*. 
In this Senator Koss excelled. He was true to every 
sentiment of duty, the soul of honor, a man of sterling 
intej^rity, retiring and modest in his demeanor, yet 
there ^\as in him that which commands respect and 
enforces esteem. 

As a lawvfu* he ranked as leader at the bar where 



3C Obituary Addresses. 

he piactieed, and one who made the cause of his clients 
his own. With him the honor of his profession was 
of greater consequence than the emoluments thereof, 
and he served his clients faithfully, regardless of the 
fee they paid, 

I wish to quote from the eulogy of the President 
Judge of Bucks county, the Hon. Harnian Yerkes, de- 
livered at the meeting of the bar, to take action on the 
death of Senator Ross. Among other things the judge 
said: "I know his worth, his honor, his affection * 
* * * * I can only say, we have lost a man pos- 
sessed of all the attributes of nobility and honor — a 
lawyer who scorned to do a mean thing, a friend as 
kind as a mother and as gentle as a sister." 

In si>eaking of his i)olitical life Judge Yerkes said, 
"A lawyer is drawn more or less into the turmoils of 
politics, the worthy people of the country expect it, 
and in this way and through the traditions of his 
family. George Ross was drawn into politics. But he 
was no politician. He never bowed to the Baal of 
poimlar power or passion, nor sought the flattery of 
popular applause. If he had been a politician he would 
have had more flatterers and fewer friends. He was 
a partisan, but not for party's sake. He stood by his 
family and its honorable traditions; he stood by his 
friends; he stood by his princii)les and fought for 
them, and in that respect he was a ] (artisan. In the 
thirty years of jiolitical activity of that nmn, he never 
used a dollar, or jjermitted it to be used, to obtain a 
vote corruptly. He would have seen all go down in 
the wreck rather than do that. But. for his political 
princij)les, like Horatius at the bridge, he did valiant 
battle, and none could dissuade him." 



Hon. George Ross. 37 



Such liiiili irihulc of rcsiiccl, coining; IVom those who 
wt'iv in daily coiitact with hiiu, sjxsik voluinos, and 
])oi-ti'ay the diaiactor of the doi)ai-ted Senator fur bet- 
tei' t hail 1 am ,i!)h' to do. 

r.ut we read, "It is apjiointed men" — unto all men — 
"once to die/" and no uiatlei- what station of honor 
we hold, \\K are all siiltject to death. One short sen- 
tence closes the l)ioi;ra|)hy of every man — He died. So 
with the late lamented Siniator Koss, in the noon-tide 
of his usefulness (h'ath ended his labors. His inter- 
course with the livinj; w(»rld is now ended and thos<} 
who would liereafter find him must seelc him in the 
jj^rave. There eokl and lifeless is the heart wliich 
lately was the -^eat of friendship: there dim and sight- 
less is tlu^ eye whose radiant orb beanuHl with intelli- 
gence; and There closed forever are the lii)s on whose 
persuasive accents we have so often and so lately hung 
with transjtort. 

We leave this sad picture and look beyond the grave. 
Death is the passing from one stage of life to another, 
a deliverance from l)ondage. a dismission from war, 
a security from all sorrows and a manumission from 
all misery. Without this radiant idea, this delightful 
morning star indicating that the luminary of eternity 
is going to rise, life, would to our view, fade into mid- 
night melancholy. Tlie ties that united us to Senator 
Eoss are not broken, they are too strong for death's 
stroke. They are nnide for the joys (d" eternal friend- 
ship. 

Yet it seems right and proper that we revere his 
memory that we express our sorrow. "The sorrow for 
the dead," says Irving, "is the only sorrow from which 
we refuse to be divorced. Everv other wound w(^ 



38 Obituarv Addresses. 



seek to heal, every other affliction to forget; but this 
wound we consider it a duty to lieep open; tliis afflic- 
tion we cherish and brood over in solitude. 

"Though it may sometimes throw a passing cloud 
over the briglit hour of gayety, or spread a deeper 
sadness over the hour of gloom, yet w:ho would ex- 
change it even foi- the song of pleaapre or burst of 
revelry? No, there is a voice from the tomb sweeter 
than song. There is a remembrance of the dead to 
which we tui-n even from the charms of the living," 

This memorial service is, therefore, more than a 
mere passing event, and the resolutions offered more 
than empty words and as we pass along the journey 
of life, may we emulate the virtues of the deceased 
Senator, and when we bid adieu to life will sing with 
the poet — 

"Life, we've been long together. 
Through jileasant and stormy weather; 
'Tis hard to part, when friends are dear; 
Perhaps 'twill cause a sigh or tear; 
Then steal away, give little warning, 
Choose thine own time; 

Say not, good night, but in some brighter clime 
Bid me good morning." 
Mr. President, L second the resolution. 
Mr. Laubach. Mr. President, on this resolution I 
move that the yeas and nays be taken. 
The motion was seconded by Mr. Gobin. 

Whereupon, 
The yeas and nays were taken and were as follows; 

YEAS. 

Messrs. Andrews, Baker, Becker, Brewer, Brown, 
Cochran, Coyle, Crouse, Flinn, Fruit, (lobin, (Jrady, 



II 071. Gcoroe Ross. 



39 



Oreeii, llnckcnbcr.u, llaiiics. I l;ii(l('iib('i>;li, 1 1 vdc, K;uilT- 
iiiaii, KcefVr, Ivcuuedy, Kline, Laudis, Jjanbacli, 
Lciiiou, McCai'iell. McCreaiy, Mc(2ii<)\vii, Meredith, 
Milleiseii, JMitchell (lii-adfoi'd), Mitchell (.leU'eisoii), 
Mover, Osbonrii, Penrose, Torlci-, Kewlaiid, Savior, 
Short!, Smith, Snvder, Sl<*el. Sliles, Upperman, 
Vau<ihan, ^Valtoll, White, Woods and Thomas, Presi- 
d(Mit ]tr(» temjtore — 48. 

NAYS. 

None. 

So the (piestion was determined in the aftii-niative. 

I'nrsuant to the resolution tlie [^resident ]»ro 
tem])ore adjourned the Senate until Monday evening, 
Januar\- twentv-eiiihth. at niiu' o'clock. 



VIAR 25 190? 



